This no-fail Chocolate Pudding Cake is just right for birthdays – or when the need for chocolate hits.
If you need a to-die-for chocolate dessert but are short on time, then look no further. This chocolate pudding cake is like my favorite “nice” pair of black yoga pants. Are they comfortable? Yes. Can I wear them with athleisure wear? Yes. Can I also wear them with snazzy boots, a black sweater and look halfway decent? Again, yes. Likewise, chocolate pudding cake, while it uses pantry ingredients, can taste like a million bucks and is easy to make.
Chocolate pudding cake was especially popular during the heyday of the boxed cake mix. Mid-century American housewives would whip up chocolate cake from a boxed mix, add instant chocolate pudding, and pour boiling water over the pan of batter. The resulting cake was crisp on top, fudgy just underneath, and then there was that luscious chocolate pudding that magically appeared at the bottom. For many Americans, chocolate pudding cake is a special nostalgic dessert.
That luscious chocolate pudding lurking at the bottom is what really upgrades this simple chocolate cake. Ditch the boxed premade mixes and you can make one from scratch easily. No fancy ingredients or complicated techniques necessary. It’s a great recipe for cooking with little ones, too! Chocolate pudding cake is best served warm when you can crack the top with your spoon and come up with a bite of that fudgy cake and the wonderfully saucy pudding layer.
The Science Behind the Magic…
So, what’s really happening to create the magically delicious chocolate pudding cake? The secret is the thin liquid you create in Step 6. You don’t stir it, so much like when you add extra water to a thick pancake batter, the dense batter does not absorb the thinner liquid on its own. Once you put the pan in the oven, the thicker, bottom layer contains baking powder, causing the cake to rise to the top. That thin liquid layer plunges to the bottom and cooks into the delicious chocolate pudding sauce layer. It remains separate from the baked cake because of that weight difference.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
Chocolate pudding cake is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. If you make it more than a day ahead, you can store it in the fridge and reheat it gently, but the bottom pudding layer will start to seep into the baked cake layer, so some of the intended effect is lost. Store any leftovers in the fridge (up to 4-5 days) or freezer (up to a month). Reheat refrigerated leftover cake in the microwave; do the same once you’ve thawed frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight.
What Kinds of Cocoa Are Best for This Cake?
Standard Hershey’s cocoa powder is a great choice. If you want a deeper chocolate flavor, use Dutch Process or dark chocolate cocoa powder. Additionally, you can deepen the chocolate flavor by substituting brewed coffee for the boiling water in Step 6. Use 1 cup of hot brewed coffee plus 1/2 cup of boiling water as a substitute for the 1 1/2 cups called for above. The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake coffee flavored.
Grab a Wooden Spoon!
In Step 6, when it’s time to pour the hot water over your pan of cake batter, grab a wooden spoon. Hold the wooden spoon in your non-dominant hand so that the spoon is facing down, toward the pan. Carefully pour the boiling water over the back of that spoon and it won’t splash or make holes in your cake. Using this nifty trick makes the pouring a bit gentler.
Serving Suggestions
Chocolate pudding cake is yummy on its own. Simply dish up a serving in a deep bowl, grab a spoon, and a glass of cold milk and you’re set. For special occasions, however, try it with some fresh raspberries, vanilla ice cream, or make your own Whipped Cream. Also, one of my favorite pairings is coffee and chocolate; this cake together with Coffee Toffee Ice Cream makes for an amazing combo. At the holidays, serve it alongside shortbread dipped in white chocolate and crushed peppermint.
Chocolate Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for the pudding layer
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- In a small bowl, mix the light brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder, then sprinkle this mixture over the batter in the dish.
- Carefully pour the boiling water over the top, covering the entire surface. Do not stir.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is set and the top begins to crack.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
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